Doll:Sleeping Beauty

The tale of Sleeping Beauty tells of Princess Aurora. She was cursed by an evil fairy to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. She is saved, however, by a good fairy who changes the spell: she will be put to sleep instead to await the kiss of her true love. The story has its origins in an Arthurian romance, first printed in 1528, of Ireland's Perceforest. An Italian version appeared in 1636 as "Il Pentamerone" or "The Sun, Moon, and Talia." Charles Perrault included the story in his 1697 collection of fairy tales, and the Brothers Grimm presented the story as "Briar Rose." In more modern times, Tchaikovsky offered the tale as a celebrated ballet; and Walt Disney's 1959 animated film has entertained several generations of children. The tale hit Broadway too as Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods," which first opened in 1986.